The Plot Against Harry | Faces of Israel

Harry Plotnick, a small-time Jewish gangster, is released from jail only to discover no one is waiting for him. He is involved in a car accident, where he reunites with his ex-wife and learns he has two daughters, one of whom is about to get married. His brother-in-law is searching for a partner for his catering business, and Harry might be able to raise the funds needed. The Plot Against Harry was filmed in the 1960s, but director Michael Roemer couldn't find a distributor and decided to shelve it. But 20 years later, he submitted the film to the Toronto and New York Film Festivals to find success and recognition. The Plot Against Harry is a delightful and ingenious work that encapsulates the world it lives in - the Jewish communities of NYC and New Jersey (the black & white cinematography of New York City is stunning beyond words). Roemer, in a style that preceded Altman, sets the camera within the situation with a nonchalance that brings the audience closer to the heroes. The result, 50 years on, is still fresh and exuberant.

New Restoration by DuArt, New York

In 1966, director Michael Roemer came to Israel to conduct research for a film about Martin Buber. The short film before us was edited from the footage he shot. These are short segments from a young country: immigrants at the port, housing apartments, kibbutz life and so on. It is an impressionistic portrait of a country in the making.